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Helpful Resources for Course Selection
Course selections for the 2023-2024 are due Friday, Feb 8! Acalanes has a wealth of resources available to assist you and your students in the process.
OPEN HOUSE & COURSE PREVIEW
A detailed program for the evening will be available on the 26th. The planned breakout session timing is;
Session 1: 6:35-7:00pm
Session 2: 7:05-7:30pm
Session 3: 7:35-8:00pm*
Open Session (drop in any time): 6:15-8:00pm
*Please note, new this year, is a required session for all students planning to take 2+ AP/Honors Classes. This important session will be held during Open House & Course Preview from 7:35-8pm in the PAC. Parents are invited to attend with your students at Open House! There will also be a makeup session (for students only) during Academy on Friday, Jan 27.
GRADE LEVEL STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
All 9th, 10th and 11th grade students recently attended grade specific presentations on course options with counselors, admin and teachers. The presentations are available below for parents to review and discuss with students. We encourage you to take a look, there is a lot of good information!
Rising Sophomores (Current Frosh) In-House Course Preview Presentation
Rising Juniors (Current Sophomores) In-House Course Preview Presentation
Rising Seniors (Current Juniors) In-House Course Preview Presentation
9th & 10th GRADE PARENT NIGHT SLIDES
The library was packed with Frosh/Soph parents on Jan 12! If you missed the evening or want additional access to all the valuable information shared, please see these slides below. Thank you to the parents and counselors for a great session!
Frosh/Soph Parent Night Slides -
APC in Action
Nominating Committee Volunteers NEEDED!
APC Nominating Committee needs your help! We are looking for volunteers to join the 2023 Nominating Committee to help fill our 2023-2024 APC Board. This role is a small time commitment but has a large ability to help. The committee will begin at the end of this month. If you have questions or would like to volunteer, please email Kristen Labrosse, APC Parliamentarian.
Volunteer Service Awards
The 2022-23 volunteer program year is in full swing for the Acalanes and President’s Service Awards! All applications are due by Apr 14 so please make sure your student is logging those hours. It’s a great opportunity for students to give back AND be recognized for their service. Visit the Volunteer Service Award page (under Get Informed) on the APCwebsite to learn more and find the forms or email communityservice@acalanesparentsclub.com with any questions.
Dons Dialogue - Listen to the Recording!
Do not miss the recording or slides from our most recent Dons Dialogue on Friday, Jan 20. The room full of parents were lucky to hear an incredible overview of;- The Course selection process from Counselor Susan Martin
- The exciting Computer Science and Engineering pathway from Teacher Dan Appel
- The impressive Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) course options from Teachers Lauren Gibson and Eric Morford
- All of the fun activities happening on campus from Leadership Student Tess Gundaker
We closed the session with a powerful Q&A discussion with Principal Shawn.
Be sure to listen to the recording here or view the slides here! We promise you will be happy you did.
The next Dons Dialogue will be Friday, Feb 24 at 8:45am.
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LPIE
LPIE is excited to invite our entire Lafayette community to celebrate all we have done together to enrich our schools over the last 40 years, as well as the potential of what is to come!
Join us for a festive family night with games and activities for all ages.
Friday, February 10, 2023
4:30-7:30pm
Lafayette Park PlazaOrder dinner and drinks from nearby restaurants and food trucks. Enjoy performances by our local Lafayette students, live music from David Martin’s House Party, and hear from dedicated community advocates for our schools. We hope you and your family will join us for this special and significant event.
Entry is complimentary; purchase required for restaurants, food trucks, drinks.
RSVP here! Guests who register will automatically be entered into a drawing to receive a Valentine’s dinner for two! Must be present to win during the event on Feb 10.
Questions? Please contact Andrea Hilsabeck or MicheleColaco
Follow us on Instagram or visit www.lpie.org -
Parent Ed
Please join us for the next event in our Wellness Parent Education Series. The Sports and Wellness Education Night will take place on Tuesday, Jan 24 from 6-7:30pm on Zoom with Dr. Doug Garner. You can register here.
Click here to review the full Wellness Parent Education Series for 2023.
Recordings of past Wellness Parent Ed events can be viewed on the AUHSD website here. Topics include Depression & Anxiety, The Fentanyl Epidemic, Connecting with Your Teen and more.
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
Lunar New Year, the Year of the Rabbit, begins today, Jan 22. Did you know that San Francisco has celebrated Lunar New Year in some form since the Gold Rush era of the 1860s? If you haven’t heard of Chunyun, you might want to stream “Last Train Home” by Lixin Fan, an astonishing documentary about this annual migration during Lunar New Year and its human scale.
Upcoming Events and Announcements- Asian/South-Asian/Asian-American Parents Happy Hour Jan 27, 5:30-8pm at Town Bakery & Cafe in Moraga: If you are a Walamorinda Asian, South Asian, or South/Asian-American identifying parent/guardian, please join us for an affinity space Happy Hour! Free light appetizers and drinks for purchase. Hope you can join us for this informal gathering (parents only event). Please RSVP here.
- Attention Parents of Athletes in Female Sports: The Voice In Sport Foundation (VISF) has introduced The Fair Play for Women Act that will strengthen TITLE IX through better education, stronger enforcement and greater transparency in data and reporting. Student athletes can join the VIS Advocate Program to receive FREE advocacy training and contribute to gender equity at your school. All advocates gain access to the VOICEINSPORT platform where they can meet with experts in sports psychology, nutrition, and talk one on one with their favorite college and professional women athletes!
- For Your Student: A Night in New Orleans Takes Over the Acalanes Gym
The district Black Student Unions (BSUs) are co-hosting a New Orleans-themed dance on Friday, Feb 3 at 7pm for all AUHSD students. More information is available in the Student Activities section below and will be available in the Daily Don. Tickets are $10 on GoFan.
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Student Activities
Student Government 2023-2024
Is your student interested in participating in student government next year? Applications are available beginning tomorrow and due Friday, Feb 3 for current 9th, 10th and 11th graders. A link to the application will be in the daily bulletin. There are elected and appointed positions and there is a spot for everyone! For the full list of committees, check out the descriptions. You/your student can also stop by at Open House to talk to current students in the program. If you have a current 8th grader, those apps will be available beginning Jan 30 and there will be an informational meeting at Stanley on Jan 31 during lunch.
A Night in New Orleans - An All-District Dance
On Friday, Feb 3 from 7-9pm, Acalanes will be hosting an all district dance. Tickets are $10 and available on Go Fan. Ticket prices include games, DJ, snacks & crafts. Sponsored by the Black Student Union.
Class Cup Begins this Week!
Encourage your student to come to the gym at lunch Wednesday, Thursday & Friday to cheer on and support their class in basketball. Basketball is the 1st of 3 class intramurals this spring.
Where will The Force be this week? We’ll be at boys basketball on Tuesday at 7pm at HOME vs. Campolindo in camo gear. The FORCE shirts will be for sale at the game along with Dons rally towels. Join us!
2022-2023 Clubs
We had an amazing spring club day and are so excited for the current 59 active clubs on campus! Encourage your student to check 1 or 2 out. You can view all clubs here.
Gratitude Grams
Want to show appreciation to friends, family and staff? Buy a gratitude gram on the webstore filled with fun toys and snacks. Embrace the attitude of gratitude.
A couple more dates to highlight:
Friday, Jan 27 at 7:30am: Senior Breakfast for the Class of 2023
Saturday, May 13 at City Hall: Junior & Senior Prom
Katherine Walton, Leadership Teacher -
College & Career
SENIORS
DVC Registration: Please tell your senior to join us during Academy on Wednesday, Feb 15 in the library for a DVC admissions’ presentation and registration details.
Acalanes College and Career Center Scholarship links. Diablo Valley AssistanceLeague, Rossmoor Scholarship Foundation, and AAUW are also available- large scholarships for students with financial limitations.
FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available. The state is asking all seniors to fill out the FAFSA or to opt-out.
JUNIORS
Job Fair: Walnut Creek Arts & Rec is hiring students aged 15+ for many summer jobs. They are hosting a job fair on Thursday, Feb 9 from 4:30-6:30pm at Shadelands Art Center Auditorium.
A Healthier Approach to College Admissions: Event sponsored by Challenge Success on Thursday, Mar 9 from 4-5:15pm.
SAT Practice Test: Revolution Prep is offering a practice SAT on Saturday, Jan 28, 9am-1pm. Live online! Register here
1:1 appointments: If you’d like your child to start exploring career interests and begin looking at Naviance, please have them schedule an appointment here.
SOPHOMORES/FROSH
Job Fair: Walnut Creek Arts & Rec is hiring students aged 15+ for many summer jobs. They are hosting a job fair on Thursday, Feb 9 from 4:30-6:30pm at Shadelands Art Center Auditorium. Looking for counselors, coaches, lifeguards, and more!
Volunteer Ideas: Have your student come by the CCC so I can learn about their interests. Check out this website for ideas too! It’s best to set a search filter for teens.
Please visit our College & Career Counseling website any time for additional information and support. -
Counseling
Counselor assignments are by last name:
A-Em Anne Schonauer
En-Kr Christine Todd / Christina Castillo-Gallardo during Spring 2023
Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows
Roh-Z Susan Martin
Late Sign Up for AP Exams: Late registration options are still available, but will incur a late fee. Please see here for more details.
Class Visits for Course Selection: This past Thursday, counselors started visiting all Living Earth, Chemistry/ESS, and USH classes to review the course selection process with students for the next school year. During these visits, students receive the form they will use, as well as instructions for how to enter requests in Aeries. We will finish visiting all classes this week on Wednesday, Jan 25 so students can attend the Open House on Thursday, Jan 26 to hear more about classes! -
School Nurse
Getting Off to a Good Start in 2023
January is a great reason to use our energy towards setting intentions (vs resolutions). Goal-setting follows setting intentions. Focusing on intentions keeps us grounded and allows us to experiment and even fail (great value can be found in failing), and then return back to our intentions.
Use January as a motivation, excuse, whatever reason to focus on BALANCE in your family and with/for your student. Balance and resilience go hand-in–hand. Students will manage stress better with balance in their lives. Prioritize sleep, healthy eating, regular physical movement, and connection, in addition to school and studying. Please consider that each of us only has a 24 hour day. For our teens, 8-10 of those hours should be devoted to sleep. You can do the rest of the math, but the point is to factor in time for taking care of ourselves and also making sure to buffer in time for the unexpected. It’s especially important not to over-schedule - this in and of itself sets up a baseline of unmanageable stress. Please let me know what works well to support balance and resilience for your students.
Not sure how to prevent drug or alcohol use? Or what to do if you suspect or havediscovered substance use?- Keep your home safe: Lock Your Meds
- Have Family Dinner
- Know where your kids are
- Spend regular time together
What else would you like to see on my website?
Dvora Citron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org
925-280-2970 x7128
IG: acalanesschoolnurse -
Wellness Center
We are so excited to have students back to start the new year! It’s very common for people to use this time to set new goals for the upcoming year. Goal setting is a great way to set up yourself, and your student, for success. Discuss setting SMART goals with your student:- Specific- narrow goals are more efficient for planning and execution.
- Measurable- how will you know that you are making progress toward reaching your goal?
- Attainable- it’s important that goals are realistic and can actually be achieved.
- Relevant- be sure that your goals align with what you find important in the short and long-term.
- Time based- when setting an end date to assess whether you have met your goal, the date should be both motivating and achievable.
Setting, working toward and achieving SMART goals is extremely beneficial to mental health. Everyone likes to feel capable and accomplished. This can help improve self esteem as well as fostering an internal locus of control.
Finally, the next AUHSD Wellness Parent Education opportunity is taking place via Zoom this week on Tuesday, Jan 24 from 6-7:30pm. While these webinars are free to attend, we do ask that you register here prior to attending.
Kiara Thomas- Wellness Intake Specialist -
Performing Arts
For an excellent overview of all VAPA classes, listen to the Dons Dialogue recording from Friday, Jan 20 (see link above)!
Band Student Recognition
We are very proud to recognize and honor our talented Acalanes musicians who were accepted into these distinguished ensembles this year!
Contra Costa County Honor Band
Serina Eun, Melina Galacatos, Miles Garcia, Zach Garcia, Zero Hill, Nathan Joseph, Monique Khouw, Sabrina Koo, Daichi Nannen, Cole Ruebner, Anthony Smario, Aya Watanabe, Koto Watanabe, Adelina Zheng
California All-State Jazz Ensemble
Spencer Tantameng
More details to follow on the exact times of their public performances later this year.
Upcoming Lafayette District Band Festival Events- District Band Festival 1:
Monday, Jan 23 at 7pm in the Stanley Middle School Gym.
Springhill and Happy Valley Elementary, Stanley Symphonic and Silver Bands, and Acalanes Wind Ensemble will be performing.- District Band Festival 2:
Tuesday, Jan 24 at 7pm in the Stanley Middle School Gym.
Lafayette and Burton Valley Elementary, Stanley Cadet band, and Acalanes Symphonic Band will be performing.- District Orchestra Festival:
Wednesday, Jan 25 at 7pm in the Stanley Middle School Gym.
Combined Elementary Strings, Strings Intermezzo, Stanley String Orchestra, and Acalanes Orchestra will be performing. -
Sports
This week’s can’t miss events
Boys basketball
Tuesday, Jan 24 host Campolindo HS. Frosh at 4pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Saturday, Jan 28 host College Park HS. Frosh at 4pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Girls basketball
Tuesday, Jan 24 at Campolindo HS. JV at 4pm and Varsity at 5pm.
Saturday, Jan 28 at Alhambra HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Boys soccer
Tuesday, Jan 24 host Northgate HS. Frosh at 3:30pm, JV at 5pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Thursday, Jan 26 at Miramonte HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Saturday, Jan 28 at College Park HS. JV at 3pm and Varsity at 5pm.
Girls soccer
Tuesday, Jan 24 at Northgate HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Thursday, Jan 26 host Alhambra HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Saturday, Jan 28 host Miramonte HS. JV at 3pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Wrestling
Wednesday, Jan 25 Berean Christian HS and Ygnacio Valley HS at Mt. Diablo HS at 5pm.
Saturday, Jan 28 Hunter Diemert Memorial Invitational at Livermore HS.
The winter sport schedules will be found on the AHS website by clicking here.
If you have any questions, please contact Randy Takahashi at rtakahashi@auhsdschools.org or Haley Walsh at hwalsh@auhsdschools.org.
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